Voltage WAY too high (17v)

[Round Dice]

This is my first post so I hope it goes well.

This is for my 1978 cb750k.

Background:

Bought motorcycle and voltage was low, 10-13.  I played with the regulator and couldn't really get anything better so I just road that way for about one year.  I wasn't that bad because it was mostly day riding about 20 miles a day.

I installed a solid state rect/reg off a 1981 cb750 hoping that would bring up the voltage.  No luck.  The voltage remained low but I still road it another year.  

So after two years my voltage drops to 8ish!  I open up the alternator casing to test the coils and the first thing I notice is that one of the three phase wires has been chewed up by the starter motor gear (the small one).  So I repaired the wire and removed the gear (I never use that thing, I'm a kicker).  

Now my voltage is outrageously high, 12.5@1G, 17@3/4G, and I've seen it in the low 20s when I flick it (fried my LEDs).

I figured it had something to do with the 1981 solid state rect/reg so I put the old OEM stuff back in and it is still mega high.  

I'm at a total loss.  Any suggestions?

[Lucky 1]

The charging rate is high . Check your battery and see what it is at rest.
Could be the battery is requiring that much because it is bad?

Maybe your meter is bad. Check a known voltage wee if the meter is off.
Quote: "So after two years my voltage drops to 8ish!"

How many years old is that battery?

The only ill effect so far is some LED's went out. Maybe it is related of the LED's went out when the alternator wire shorted and the light s were on.

16 or 17 volts is not completely out of line if lights are on.

I would start at the beginning. The battery.

Check those multi pin connections between alternator and regulator too.
Those white plastic connectors usually just disintigrade after 33 years.

[Piute]

fluids were low in my batt.when that happened to me.

[Round Dice]

It is a brand new sealed battery.  I forgot to mention that another ill effect of the high voltage was that, before I caught it, it fried one of my ignition coils (1/4) and ruined my battery.

The battery reads 12.2-12.5 at rest.

I've used three different meters and one of those three was a brand new Fluke.  

The alternator wires didn't short, one was just "cut" by the gear.  The other two were fine.

Also, headlight was OFF for all readings.  The only lights on were my LED tail lights.  

Thanks for suggesting the connectors, I'll check that.

[Piute]

  1 of mine just grounded out ,when I pinched it in cover,Did you get this all right ?